Mom, You're Enough!

Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you, Jon Acuff!

I absolutely love this. So, so true. As a parent, you're enough!! I have always told all my employers or professors my first job is MOM, it trumps everything else in life I do. There is no higher calling. Do not take if for granted or treat it lightly that God has called you to care and keep one of HIS children.  

Here's the Facebook link, because I can't figure out how to post the video:

https://www.facebook.com/authorjonacuff/videos/10150614758064950/

Good stuff on this rainy, wet Wednesday in Music City! Be blessed, folks!

On Repeat . . .

Touch The Sky Acoustic version - Hillsong UNITED

Cannot get enough of this song and this recording is done right here in Nashville, TN at Barista Parlor! So cool! Enjoy!

Happy Fall, y'all!

Happy Autumn fine folks. I wasn't planning on stopping by my blog, sad as it is. Grad school. Uuuggg. But for some reason when I clicked on my blog links I got some message how my blog was deleted. Panic. But after numerous attempts, we're back up and running I think.

I really just need to stop by more than twice a year. But I'll get there.

In the meantime, my lil' pumpkin is getting so crazy big. I can't stand it. I love her to bits!

So I'm happy for the false alarm, that is made me stop by. Stop by and pause for a second. Take in this fall, my girl. October 2014. Because all too quickly life goes past.

Christmas is coming?

Yep, she's my kiddo for sure. I return from my morning run and she's all excited about Christmas for no apparent reason. Huh? 

She excitedly tells me, "Girl, you gotta' get shopping!" What she doesn't know is, I already have. ;-)

She's updated the countdown and is listening to classic Christmas music. Yeah, I've done something right in this whole parenting gig!

So consider this your public service announcement, 66 days to go people!

Thank God I Got Her by Jonny Diaz

This song is so me, every word. I shared it will Mr. Cook and I'm so glad he feels the same way.
True love, y'all.

Hello 2014!

Here we are again starting a new year. 2014. The super shallow girl in me just loves that it is an even number and I like to write 4 better than 3's! I know, shal-low. Now, deep . . .

A new year is always a fresh start, a new beginning, time for refocus, yada, yada, yada. I've never been much for resolutions, but I do think it's super important to always try to improve somehow. So I work on that one way or another each year. Deeper relationship with my Maker, do more for my family, hitting new running goals and my first year of graduate school will be my major focus points this year. Nothing documented or track-able, just a goal to get through one day at time. Look, I made it through 2013. And that was nothing short of amazing at times! Ugghhh. '13 was truly one of my hardest years EVER, so to make it to 2014 'clothed and in my right mind' isn't an accomplishment to scoff at. Really. The pressures, emotional trials, struggles, a full-time job, completing my final undergraduate year of school and losing my mother made it beyond tough and unbearable at times. Yet, I endured and here we are: 2014.

But hold on 2014, you're not going as expected. Things I thought were working out aren't turning out so well. Hopes and dreams I had, are already diminishing. Relationships that should be strong are shaky. People that I had expectations from, are not coming through. Stress is already mounting. Emotions are high. I've already had a few good cries. My little life that I had all planned out is rather turbulent. 2014 is starting out just like 2013. Isn't all supposed to clean and new and fresh and perfect and headed in the right direction?

Life. It's life. Just like all the other 30-something years I've experienced. Sometimes it doesn't hit until May or June or maybe even September. But life happens. I can't control it or order it the way I would like, but I can only chose my reaction in these situations. And though my 2014 may not be starting off the way I'd like, I know here we are at another year of life and come what I may, me and Jesus will get through it!

Thankful for My Baby

Oh, my heart is so heavy this morning.

My sweet baby girl had her first passing-out incident.

I kind of expected this day would come, as her father has had the same thing happen several times over the years. Yet it no more made me prepared. So awful. Nothing like feeling helpless to the pain your baby is in. Or them just laying there, limp and cold and lifeless.
Just for trying to help Mom carry her bags down the stairs, those blasted things! Daddy had a very similar, scary incident with the same stairs and a stubbed toe. Pain. Fetal position. Flat as a board. This is awful. I don't know what these people are thinking. It SCARES me so bad.      

I wasn't sure whether to lay her flat, sit her up. Hold her or not touch her. But I held her, got her off the stairs and pleaded the blood of Jesus over her. Until she finally came through.

She's fine. At school now for the last day before Fall Break, with three test to take. Of course, this momma's still worrying. But I am so thankful. Thankful she's ok. Thankful for all her good days of health. Because some mom's deal with so much more than I'll ever endure, all the time. I feel guilty for complaining.

I hugged her a little lighter, rubbed her small arm, patted her messy hair. Felt guilty, for all the mornings I had to be at work for an 8:30am meeting. But Jesus knows. He is with her and He's with me. And it's only Him that will get us through life's hiccups.   

 

                                                   

 

My flesh and my heart may fail, but GOD is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

 

A Great Charity-ism

"It startles me how neat you are." says my sweet daughter to her OCD mom.

Man, I love her!

Cupcakes in Bed

It's the time of year, the time of year we all get the craving for yummy baked goods!

For my husband it doesn't matter if it is Lemon Pineapple Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting that were on clearance last summer. He wants something baked for dessert. I am not complaining.

As I was studying away trying to get ahead for Fall Break, I could smell the yummy deliciousness baking below. And it wasn't long when my little cupcake princess arrived with a special delivery.

I am blessed.

A New Name & A Yummy Breakfast

Productive and fun morning with hubby, who I roped into driving me downtown to do my name addition - that's been on my to-do list for years! Yay! After business was taken care of, breakfast stops included Porter Road Butcher, where Dave got a meaty breakfast sandwich and I got a scone. They gave us a free scone because it was a little overcooked. Super yum! Good thing I ran this morning! Then to Headquarters Nashville for Chai! #yum #supportlocal #itsbetter

                            

Mini-Me and Me

She still likes to match and I'm okay with that. 10 years strong!

     

Half Number 7

Today I completed my 7th Half Marathon. Every time I do one it is always a special occasion, but this one was extra special. Yesterday was the three year anniversary that Gramma went to be with Jesus. Charity was seven then. The coincidence makes me tear up. Felt her and now my own Mom watching over me as I ran, slowed down, got tired, but still ran on. It was a gorgeous day and I am so thankful for the strength and ability that Jesus has blessed me with and the love for running.

Now . . . I'm going to go eat a cupcake! ;-)

Charity Cheerleader!

Charity Cheerleader's final game to cheer as a Junior Cheerleader. :'( Where have the six years gone? They grow up too fast!! Make it stop!

From here on out, participation requires try-outs and I don't know if we're ready for that. So glad for the fun she's had and if she decides to continue, I'll be her biggest cheerleader!

                                

Spirt Week: Day 4 . . . Sick Day!?!?

She's so bummer she's missing "Disco Day".

At the clinic. Book Strep the doctor said. We caught it early.
Nothing a little amoxicillin cannot fix!
Thank God for modern medicine!

Spirt Week: Day 3 - It's Wacky Wednesday!

All crazy and polka dotted!

Spirt Week: Day 2 - NeOn Day!

Watch your eyes!

Green Bump

A Frog Story: This little guy got in our house last night. Rode in on Dave's arm while he was taking out the dog we're guessing. He was sitting watching TV and looked over to a frog on the couch pillow! He captured him in a cup no problem, but when he tried to move him from the cup to a pickle jar, where CC thought she'd keep him as a pet, froggy fled! We girls screamed! But Dave caught him. He spent the night with us, in the pickle jar. This morning, CC decided he should go back home and set free the little frog she affectionately name Green Bump. The end! 🐸
                                    
                                          

Spirit Week: Day 1 - PJ Day!

Little Miss Sleepyhead . . . I think every Monday morning should be Pajama Day!

Color Me Rad 5K

The ran stopped this morning just in time for us to have a dry, but colorful run. My first color-type run and it was a lot of fun. Charity loved it and what better way to get some exercise!

 

To Every Thing There is a Season

You know the girl, the girl that absolutely hates ALL sports. That is perfectly happy sitting, reading quietly in the library. Yes, with the four eyes. That never, not once, participated in an organized sport unless it was completely mandatory. That sat on the bench. Or cheered from the sidelines.

The girl that dreaded gym class with every fiber of her being. Never understood the rules of any game, except maybe dodge ball. Lacked all coordination needed to athletically perform any type of physical activity at all.

While other girls made playing volleyball look so cute and some could run like the wind around the bases of the baseball diamond playing softball. Or the cheerleaders . . . oh, let's not go there. The girls that made sweat look pretty on the basketball court. Yeah, not those girls. 

The one who got a soccer ball in the face when some wise guy decided it would be funny to throw it up in the air and hit it as hard as he could with a baseball bat, landing smack-dab on the bridge of the above-mentioned spectacles . . . making quite a spectacle in front of the entire middle school.

The one who even escaped state-mandated physical education class in high school via a note from her parents deeming co-ed sports were banned in accordance with strict religious beliefs.

The one that was always one of the last to get picked . . . and for good reason.

Yep . . . that's me.

Sports weren't my thing. I didn't like to move my muscles. At that time, I liked to be "lazy", which is okay when you're ten, but doesn't work out so well when you're 33 and spend over eight hours a day on your dairy aire. As I grew older and my metabolism began its evil ploy against me and I started to put on pounds, I joined Weight Watchers, which at the time taught much about what to eat, but put little emphasis on exercise. This worked out great for me and I was able to drop 30 lbs. by eating less and not breaking a sweat.

So, I know it came as a big surprise to many of those around me when I began running. And the only way to explain it is Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." And a praying mother-in-law, who wanted more than anything for her son to be healthy. So when he took up running, I followed suit.

In just a few weeks, I will run my 7th half marathon, yes 7th, for all those kids that laughed in gym class when I attempted to make a basketball shot from whatever that line is where you stand directly in front of the hoop, yep, missed. 7th, for all those kids that said girls in skirts can't run.

So, it's not the Olympics, but I'm moving. And this season I've taken on a new challenge. As I plug my way through my 84th year (well, it sure feels like it!) of college on my way to my Master's in Accounting, I read and run. I hate to admit it . . . but I'm starting to lose respect for those that just run. Rip through their neighborhood knocking out a 10 minute-mile. Big deal. Kinda' sorta. I understand. That's still pretty awesome.

Over the last few running years, I've struggled to keep a 10 minute-mile on the treadmill on a good day. And for those of you that don't run, the treadmill is more difficult than outdoor running when trying to increase your speed. But today I stood in sweat and amazement as I did my 4 mile run in just 40 minutes and 53 seconds, with a 2.0 incline and knocking out a chapter in my biology book on cellular respiration. Hello. Cellular respiration?!?!? It takes some skills, people!

Yeah, I guess you can say I'm an athlete now.    

Babies Grow Up toooooo Fast!

Packing up all the cute little stuff she used to weak . . . because Lord knows I'll never be able to part with it . . . and only minimally have a nervous breakdown. ;'-(. 

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow

For babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow,

So quiet down cobwebs and dust go to sleep

I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.

Buzz, buzz . . . Ouch!

Poor Dolly got her first bee sting. 🐝😔 We had to take her to animal hospital to see if the stinger was still in her little paw, but it wasn't.🐾She got a couple shots and is doing better.💉More excitement than we anticipated on this Sunday, but that's how life is, isn't it!?! Of course, we had to get her some treats for all her trauma.🎃

Life at my Pace

Life is back at this pace again. What?!?! It's out of focus? It is not clear? Fuzzy? Hurts your eyes?

Welcome to my world.

Yep, life is a blur when you work full-time, attend college full-time, have a family, are preparing for a half marathon, yada, yada, yada . . .

Nevertheless, I love my crazy, blurry life!

Chef Charity

I don't know why, but she's been feeling domestic lately and I'm okay with that! :)

The Gift of Servitude

The power of servitude is severely underestimated in our day. It seems as our world rocks on, more and more people are totally and wholly consumed with self. The thought of others exists only for personal benefit. People live for their own advancement and success, mostly.

Thankfully there are some trickles of hope, light, people doing what they can to serve those around them, helping those in need, the less fortunate.

 
But one thing is for certain: whether in an assigned position like that of ministry or living your life for those around you, the reward of serving always outweighs the energy expended. Ask anyone that’s ever wiped the nose of a snotty, 2 year-old in the church nursery or volunteered at the local soup kitchen. The teachers that go beyond the call of just teaching and lead students to be better citizens of society, youth workers that expend themselves to the battered and bruised teens that most of us wouldn’t waste the time of day on. Nurses that do more than just their “job”, but truly care. Mothers that sacrifice endlessly serving their young children day in and day out.
 
Each and every person can find a place to serve, no one is exempt.

It is therein, in this place that one truly finds it is more blessed to give than to receive.

We call evaluate our lives. Are we living totally for self each day, fulfilling solely our dreams and goals? Life is most fulfilling when we pour ourselves into others, when we use our time and talents for those around us.  

 

Are we being all you can for our family, our spouse and our children? In our job are you doing the minimal to get by or do we go above and beyond? Scraping in through life is so unsatisfying.

Husbands and wife can learn so much from living this way. Wait, what?!?! It’s not about what's in it for me?? It’s not about what makes me happy? . . . Yeah, ouch. . . serve your spouse . . . but that’s for another blog posting!

Serve people. Serve those around you, serve those you don't know. Live your life for others. Do what you can for others, always. Life will take on so much more meaning for you. In a quest to serve others, one can truly find himself/herself and that long-sought after happiness.

This thought came to me so strongly this past weekend when we reunited with some of the teens that had attended the youth group in which we served in Maine. Those teens are now the leaders, carting their youth group halfway across the country in a church bus to attend the national conference. It was so awesome to see these kiddos, well, young adults now, serving and doing an amazing job!

Chances are this has nothing to do with anything we did or our "wonderful" serving abilities. But the joy it brings seeing where they are today and how they are fulfilling the same role we served is insurmountable. Watching them lead and weary the same way we did in years past is priceless.

When we give ourselves to servitude we are not only blessing those in the here and now, but generations down the road will feel the effects of the sacrifice. Giving of ourselves is truly the ultimate gift, not only are the benefits continuous but we too receive back an amazing, unmatchable blessing!

 I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35 KJV

Lunch is Served.

Maybe it's not the prettiest BLT you've ever seen, but she wanted to make lunch so it's the yummiest one I've ever tasted. Yum!

Shopping, Pizza and Pedi's!

That's how we celebrate the first day of 5th grade!

And lunch at Subway, 


Oh, and cotton candy cupcakes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A big milestone and definitely work celebrating! So proud of this little lady and her excitement for all the changes that go along with 5th grade. CC you are so brave and bold. We are so proud of you and know it is going to be a great year! Happy 5th grade!

 

1st Day of 5th Grade!

Where has time gone? How did we get here so quickly? Double digits and now 5th grade! Whoa! Life is just so fleeting. Hang on to every precious moment.

Love this little lady, her colorful style, spunky personality, and that smile!

Look at my big 5th grader listening intently to her teacher!

(Taken from the NCS website)

Her telling me about her day = favorite part of my day!

I am just so blessed! Happy first day of 5th Grade, sweet CC!

Mom and Dad love you sooooo . . . and pray you have the best year ever!

Wonderful Weekend

So strange not to spend a Saturday studying - squeezed tons in! 1/2 Goodwill Day, finished final little bit of school shopping, lots to consignment and got through 90% of the bonus room disaster. Yay! This is what the rest of the world does with their weekends, no wonder you love them so much! :)

 

Date Night with Daddy!

August 3rd, today would have been Gramma's 70th birthday. I can't think of a better way  to celebrate her amazing life than these two going out and enjoying special time together. Our church hosted the evening compete with dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory, a stop at the candy store and a carriage ride. And I even got some pictures sent to me! Priceless.